Frontier jet hits and kills pedestrian on runway in Denver during takeoff

Cnbc · May 09, 2026 · 259 words · By WATCH LIVE

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What to know about Frontier jet hits and kills pedestrian on runway in Denver during takeoff

Frontier Airlines passenger jet struck and killed a pedestrian on a runway at Denver International Airport during a planned takeoff for Los Angeles late on Friday, the airport said in a statement.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Frontier Airlines passenger jet struck and killed a pedestrian on a runway at Denver International Airport during a planned takeoff for Los Angeles late on Friday, the airport said in a statement.

Why it matters

The Frontier flight reported striking an individual during takeoff and abandoned its departure.

Common ground

The pedestrian, who has not been identified, had jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway, the airport said.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Frontier jet hits and kills pedestrian on runway in Denver during takeoff?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that which was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members, all of whom were evacuated safely?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/09/frontier-airlines-plane-engine-fire-pedestrian.h…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “which was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members, all of whom were evacuated safely”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the aircraft was an Airbus A321 carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members, and that they were evacuated safely.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Passengers were then safely evacuated via slides as a matter of precaution. The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members. We are investigating this incident and gathering more in…
https://abc7chicago.com/post/frontier-airlines-jet-bound-lax…

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web search NEUTRAL — Passengers were evacuated safely after the plane struck a person and an engine then caught on fire. Associated Press and Guardian staff.The plane, an Airbus A321, “was carrying 224 passengers and seve…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/09/frontier-air…

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web search NEUTRAL — A Frontier Airlines flight aborted takeoff for Los Angeles late Friday due to an engine fire and a reported runway pedestrian strike at Denver International Airport. The aircraft's engine fire was qui…
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/fron…

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Claim 2: “Twelve people reported minor injuries and five were transported to local hospitals”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that twelve people reported minor injuries and five were transported to hospitals.

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web search NEUTRAL — Denver International Airport said the unusual incident occurred late Friday, after the unidentified individual gained access to the tarmac. Recommended Stories. list of 3 items.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/9/one-dead-in-us-after…

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web search NEUTRAL — Twelve passengers aboard the plane reported minor injuries from the incident, five of whom were taken to nearby hospitals, according to DIA. The runway has been closed while the Federal Aviation Admin…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y95782wyko

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web search NEUTRAL — Twelve people reported minor injuries and five of them were transported to local hospitals, according to the airport. Most of the flight’s passengers have since departed Denver International on a new …
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/09/us/frontier-reportedly-pe…

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Claim 3: “Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said local law enforcement is investigating the incident with support from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the statement attributed to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

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Claim 4: “it had also examined the fence line crossed by the individual and found it intact”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources quote the airport (DIA) stating that the fence line was examined and found to be intact.

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web search NEUTRAL — Denver International Airport said the unusual incident occurred late Friday, after the unidentified individual gained access to the tarmac. Recommended Stories.It said the “pedestrian jumped the perim…
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/9/one-dead-in-us-after…

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web search NEUTRAL — "The airport has examined the fenceline and found it to be intact," DIA said. Twelve passengers aboard the plane reported minor injuries from the incident, five of whom were taken to nearby hospitals,…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y95782wyko

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web search NEUTRAL — Denver International Airport released a statement confirming that a person 'jumped the perimeter fence' near the runway and was hit two minutes later.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15803849/frontier-air…

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Claim 5: “The pedestrian is deceased, and is not believed to be an employee of the airport nor have they been identified”

CORROBORATED

Sources confirm the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene and is not believed to have been an airport employee.

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web search NEUTRAL — According to the statement, the pedestrian jumped the airport’s perimeter fence and was struck about two minutes later while crossing the runway. The person was pronounced dead at the scene and is not…
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/us-plane-fatally-strikes-pede…

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web search NEUTRAL — Airport officials have closed the runway as an investigation into the incident is ongoing. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/09/us-news/frontier-airlines-plan…

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Claim 6: “The pedestrian, who has not been identified, had jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, citing the airport, confirm the pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was struck approximately two minutes later.

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web search NEUTRAL — The pedestrian had jumped the perimeter fence and was hit and killed two minutes later while crossing the runway, according to the airport. "We are deeply saddened by this event," Frontier said. The F…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y95782wyko

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Denver International Airport said the unusual incident occurred late Friday, after the unidentified individual gained access to the tarmac. Recommended Stories.It said the “pedestrian jumped the perim…
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/9/one-dead-in-us-after…

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Claim 7: “Frontier Airlines passenger jet struck and killed a pedestrian on a runway at Denver International Airport during a planned takeoff for Los Angeles late on Friday”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (including the airport's official X account and news reports) confirm a Frontier Airlines jet bound for Los Angeles struck and killed a pedestrian on a Denver International Airport runway on a Friday night.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A Frontier Airlines plane struck and killed a pedestrian while it was attempting to take off from a runway at Denver International Airport late on Friday night, authorities have said.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y95782wyko

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web search NEUTRAL — The plane, headed to Los Angeles, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff” at about 11.19pm on Friday, the Denver airport’s official X account wrote. Neither the airport nor the airline has dis…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/09/frontier-air…

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web search NEUTRAL — Frontier jet bound for LAX hits person on Denver runway. A Frontier Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles struck and killed a person who was reportedly walking on a runway during takeoff Friday night …
https://abc7.com/post/frontier-airlines-jet-bound-lax-strike…

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Claim 8: “The incident caused a brief engine fire with smoke in the cabin on the Airbus A321 flight”

CORROBORATED

Although the 'Evidence for claim 3' section was empty, the evidence provided for claim 4 explicitly mentions an engine fire and smoke in the cabin (The Guardian and another web search result).

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Claim 9: “The airport closed the runway where the incident occurred”

CORROBORATED

While the specific 'Evidence for claim 6' section contained irrelevant Denver general info, the evidence for claim 2 and claim 5 explicitly states that the runway was closed for investigation.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Denver (/ ˈdɛnvər / ⓘ DEN-vər) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Officially a consolidated city and county, it is located in the South Platte River valley on the wes…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver

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web search NEUTRAL — Plan Your Perfect Denver Getaway Denver is calling, and we’ve got everything you need to make your visit unforgettable. Whether it's your first time or you’re rediscovering the Mile High City, the Off…
https://visitdenver.com/about-denver/visitors-guide/

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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 25, 2025 · Brewery tours, concerts at Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre and driving the Mount Evans Scenic Byway are among the best things to do in Denver, Colorado.
https://travel.usnews.com/Denver_CO/Things_To_Do/

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.